Harpo, Chico and Coacho: LSU-Bama NCAA Football Betting

The NCAA football betting odds are against LSU in what head coach Ed Orgeron described as “a must-win game” against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Lately, though, it has been more of a can’t-win game for the Tigers, who have lost six straight to Alabama since 2012 (which was a regular season game and not, as SEC Country.com incorrectly states, the Sugar Bowl). This will be Coach O’s first crack, as the official LSU head coach, at the Crimson Tide.

LSU has, like Aeneas, who founded, after fleeing burning Ilion, the city of Rome, experienced, following a debacle involving Trojans, increasing success in the past few weeks. The Tigers have gone 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS, including a 40-24 win over Ole Miss in the Magnolia Bowl, since an upset loss to Troy as 20½-point favourites. LSU is 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games, 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record, and 0-3-1 ATS in its last four games against Alabama, while the Tide is 4-0 ATS in their last four games after a bye week and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 SEC games. That said, three touchdowns with their respective field goals may not do justice to LSU’s running game, which is one of the best in the NCAA. Then again, Alabama did a great job of cutting the Tigers’ legs from under them last year, holding them to only 33 yards on 27 totes. The Tide won that game by just 10 points (though they outgained LSU by 198 yards) which was still good enough to cover, but then the NCAA football betting spread was just a touchdown.

Alabama’s Siege Perilous

The No. 1 spot in the AP Poll seems to be, like the Perilous Seat of Arthurian lore, fatal to any team other than Alabama, which is why the Crimson Tide went on and returned from bye to find their spot at the top waiting for them fully intact. Similarly, ‘Bama leads the conference in scoring offense, rushing offense, total offense, scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. UA is 8-0 SU this season, winning by an average margin of 33.2 points, but have nonetheless covered in just half of their games. Alabama will, more than likely, continue its straight-dominance over LSU, but there’s a good chance that the Tigers will at least snap their ATS losing streak to the Roll Tide. Last season’s game, which, like seven of their last 10 encounters, was decided by 10 points – with some meetings decided by even fewer points – went well under the 46-point total, and the NCAA football betting total has in fact gone under in 5 of Alabama’s last seven games against LSU. Head coach Nick Saban is neither unaware nor surprised by the Tigers’ recent success. “I certainly feel like that was the case back when we lost, and I see that happening with LSU’s team as well,” Saban said.